TODAY Food Club

Lick the spatula at your own risk. By the time you pour this spirited batter into the cupcake pan, you may be a little giddy! This week’s rescued recipe combines a good-old fashioned cupcake with a favorite retro cocktail to create a deliciously moist Strawberry Daiquiri Cocktail Cupcake. I wonder if Ernest, John and Betty would have approved? (The Daiquiri was a favorite beverage of Ernest Hemmingway and John F. Kennedy. Ms. Crocker is, of course, our first lady of cupcakes.) The rum-based Daiquiri became popular in the 1940’s when wartime rationing made whiskey and vodka hard to come by. However, because of America’s trade relations with Latin America and Cuba at the time, rum flowed freely. Soon the Daiquiri went from a fashionable new trend to a bonafide American classic. The Strawberry Daiquiri Cocktail Cupcake has the spirited daiquiri kick to it with a sweet and rich-tasting super moist crumb. For a smaller, bite-sized cocktail party version, go for a platter of cocktail cupcake mini’s!

Strawberry Daiquiri Cocktail Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 (approx.16 ounce) package White Cake Mix
• 1 small (approx. 3 oz) package Strawberry Gelatin
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• ¾ of Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Mix (10 oz), thawed (reserve rest for glaze and icing)
• ¼ cup white rum
• 2 tablespoons Strawberry Liqueur
• 2 tablespoons thawed Strawberry Daiquiri Mix (for glaze)
• 2 additional tablespoons Strawberry Liqueur (for glaze)
• 1 tablespoon rum (for glaze)
• 8 tablespoons butter, softened (for icing)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (for icing)
• 2 additional tablespoons Strawberry Daiquiri Mix (for icing)
• 3-5 cups powdered sugar (for icing)
• Optional, red or pink food coloring for additional color (for icing)
• White or pink decorative sugar and fresh strawberries for garnish (for icing)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners.
2. In a small bowl, stir together daiquiri mix, rum, and strawberry liqueur, mixing well.
3. In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, strawberry gelatin, eggs and vegetable oil.
4. Add the daiquiri, rum and strawberry liqueur mixture.
5. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for approximately 2 minutes.
6. Spoon the batter into prepared cupcake pans. Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ full.
7. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes up clean. (Cupcakes will be extremely moist because of the daiquiri mix.) Don’t over bake.
8. While baking combine 2 tablespoons thawed Strawberry Daiquiri Mix, 2 tablespoons strawberry liqueur and 1 tablespoon rum to make glaze.
9. While cupcakes are still warm, brush cupcake tops with glaze. Allow to soak in before frosting cupcakes.
10. While Glaze is soaking in, make the icing.
11. In a large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese and daiquiri mix. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
12. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat until smooth. If icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar, a couple tablespoons at a time.
13. Fill pastry bag fitted with a tip (2D tip if available) and ice the cupcakes.
14. Sprinkle tops with sugar and garnish with strawberries.

Recipe Tags

• Party
• American
• Dessert